Electric fireplace



July -3, 192s.

' 1,675,418 D7 N. MEANY Er-AL ELECTRIC 'FIREPLACE 2 Sheets-*Sheet l original Filed Nov. 24', 1924 July 3, 192a- 1,675,418

D. N. MEANY Er AL v ELECTRIC FIREPLACE Original Filed Nov. 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July `3, 1928.

UNITED( s'i-*A'rlsv 1,675,418 PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL N. MEANY AND EDWARD N.

ELLsWoRTH, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINo-Is, AssIGNoRs To ELECTRIC FIREPLACE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION oF ILLINOIS.

I ELECTRIC EIREPLACE.

Divided' and this application ,led

'June 19, 1925. seran No. 33,151.

. This ,invention relates to a grate' designed and adapted to be electrically illuminated and heated in such a way as to simulate the appearance and heating properties of an actual Vgrate ofvlive coals for the purpose of not only warming the room wherein the grate is located, but of enhancing the illusion of actual fire created by the appearance of illuminated fuel within the grate.

The invention is directed to the construction and arrangement of heating elements and their association with the grate in such a way as to produce the desired heating effect fiom a practically concealed point without interfering with or 'impairing the func? tioning of the illuminating devices provided forthepurpose of creating a'visual simula# Y tion of actual fire.

The invention further relates to the means providedfor wiring the heating circuit in such a way as to advantageously co-operate with the lighting circuits Vprovided for the illuminating elemental l In the drawings:

e Figure 1 is a perspective view of the grate asa whole showing one end of the heating device; y y Fig. 2 is across sectional View showing low the grate; and l y F 1g. 3 is a sectional elevation' of the grate looking toward the rear showing the heating elements in front elevation. y

The grate structure with which the heating elements are associated comprises an openwork front 10 having a lower rail 11, an upper rail 12, Vertical grate bars 13, and standards 14, which latter terminate in legs 15 which serve to elevate the grate proper abover the level of the hearth. The front may be of any ornamental nish or design, and being detachable from the remainder of the struct-ure may be readily removed therefrom to permit fronts of various designs to be associated with a grate structure of standard construction. l

The grate body further comprises end walls 16 to which the front is removably secured. The grate further comprises a back wall 17 to which the end walls are secured, and the back wall is provided with legs 18 which, in conjunction with the legs 15, serve to support and elevate the grate to the desired level to make provision for the heating elements which are located beneath the grate. y

The grate is furtherprovided with a. re-

vmovable bottom plate'19 the front edge of which rests upon an inturnedledge 2O on the front and ledges 21 on the end wall, but if desired this bottomplate can be completely removed or omitted, so that the illumination, presently to be described, will be cast downwardly upon the hearth and reflected therefrom to increase the simulation of natnral fire in conjunction with the dissemination of heat by the heating elements located below the grate. i/Vithin thegrate is a mesh partition 22 of angled formation which affoi-ds a. space above and in front ofthe mesh for the support of a' bed of artificialv fuel 23 of transparent or translucent material such as colored glass or the like, which fuel is illuminated from within. by means of kone lor more electric bulbsQ secured to the rear wall of 'the' grate. A flickering effect is obtained 'by the provision of'one or more rotatable fans' 25 located above the respective bulbs and adapted to be rotated by the heated air rarising from the bulbs. k

`The general strncture of the grate and illuminating features forms the subject of the application from which the present application is divi ded,so that these features need not be described in further detail. Beneath the floorof the grate is an elongatedrele'ctor 26, the walls of which diverge forwardly in an upward and downward direction, as indicated in Fig. 2. The reflector is provided with end walls 26@l of substantially rectangular shape with their forward edges protruding beyond and in front of the rear walls of the reflector.

Lying within the bend or angle of the reflector is an elongated resistance element 27 of any suitable or approved form, the ends of which are entered into and carried by av pair of inwardly extending brackets 28 to which are secured the ends of current wires 29 and 30 respectively. The brackets are secured to the end walls of the reflector, and

the refiector as a whole is suspended by the bottom wall `vof the Vgrate and connects with one o-f the terminals of a heater switch 32 having ainger .lever 33 which extends through aslot 34 in the proximate end wall j to afford easy vand convenient manipulation ofthe switch. Suitable lighting circuit Wires -35 and a lighting switch 36 are provided but-it isnot deemed necessary to describe the details ofthe lighting circuit.

The arrangement i-s one which permits the Y heater or llights to be operated individually o r in unison with one another, so that the grate can be Vused either as a heater or merely for decorative effect or for both purposes, as occasion may require. 'This will V- be found'o'f great advantage in warm weath-Vl er, when it is desired to dispense with the Yheating effect, but at the .same time preserve the pleasant and attractive 'illuminating effect of anropen fire. i U ce The arrangement of the heater is such as to make provision for the directforward dissemination of thel heat without interfer-v encefrom the illumina-ting features ofthe grate and from alow point so that Ithe Vheatl waves will'be directed 'forwardly from beneath `the grate at the, "floor leVeLthereby serving to warm the lower portion of the room, and at the Sametime the bottoni of the grate, when in position, serveseffectivelyy to direct the heat wavesV forwardly so that the heat `will appear to emanate fromA a-glowingbed, ofr coa-ls.

Furthermore, the illuminating effect of the heating elements will effectively combine with the flickering light effect producedV on the artificial fuel by concealed illuminating elements,so that theselfeatures, in conjunction with one. another, will heightenthe simulation of axglowing bed of coals and dis-V Aseminate light downwardly upon the hearth as well as forwardly and' upwardly from the artificial fuel;

We claim: Y,

In an electric fireplace, the combination of a box-like four sided grate structure having a Vgrated front, a back in spaced relation thereto and end lwalls converging from the v(il) front to the back, a leg at each corner of the structure for supporting the same .in elevated relation with respect to the hearth, a reticulated support for artificial fuel located within the grate andhaving its supporting surfaces in spaced relation behind the grated fro-nt and belowthe top of the grate structure, artificial fuel carried by said support and exposed over the top andV in front thereof to simulate a bed of coals,illu1nina.ting devices within'the grate structure and below and behind the artificial fuel for illuminating the same, anelongated open frontedk reflector extending lengthwise of and below the grate structure and behind thevtransverse center thereof, said reflector being Y.

trough shaped, hangers at the ends of the de fleet-or vfor supporting' the same below the fuel supporting Vportion of thefgra-te and within the space subtended' by the legs, an'

elongated heating element extending lengthwise ofthe trough shaped reflector and lo- .cated near the innerV angle thereof,` currentV wires leading to the illuminatlng devices and to the heating element, and switch mechanism for controlling the flow of'currentto either orboth of saidheating and illuminating devices, substantially as described.` Y

VDANIEL N. MEANY.

EDWARD N. ELLsWoRTH. 'i 

